Dad beats daughter to track

GRAND PRAIRIE, Texas - Joe Move and a 2-year-old from his first crop could both race this month at Lone Star Park.

Joe Move, who is 9, starts on Saturday in the fifth race, a five-furlong turf sprint allowance. Meanwhile, his daughter Moving Star could make her career debut before the meet closes July 26, said Richard Bird, who owns and trains both Joe Move and Moving Star.

Bird has four 2-year-olds from Joe Move's small first crop in training. He had initially retired the horse in February 2005 because of a tendon injury, and bred him to some mares. The time off helped the tendon heal and Joe Move returned to the races in October 2006. To date, the stallion has won 11 of 53 starts and $197,455.

Joe Move has made his mark in the turf sprint ranks in Texas. He is 9 for 16 over the Lone Star course, with his biggest win here coming last July in the $50,000 Lone Star Park Turf Sprint. Joe Move won by a length over a field that included eventual graded stakes winner Chamberlain Bridge. Joe Move earned a career-best Beyer Figure of 96.

Saturday, he will be looking to recapture that form. Joe Move has run sixth in all three of his starts at the meet, his latest in an allowance won by Tricky Mon. He will remove blinkers after wearing the equipment for his last two starts, on May 10 and June 5.

"I put them on because he wasn't getting out of the gate," said Bird. "I took them back off because he runs better without them."

Joe Move worked a bullet four furlongs in 47.20 seconds June 26 in his final prep for Saturday. He is the speed from the rail, and Bird said the start of the race will be key for the horse. Joe Move, who is notoriously quick, missed the break last time and found himself in a rare spot, behind horses after the first quarter.

"If he gets away, I think they'll have a hard time catching him," said Bird, who has named Christine Itschner to ride Joe Move.

Ti Township might be the chief threat. He won four consecutive turf sprint races between November and May and will be cutting back from a mile for the allowance Saturday. Chris Landeros has the mount for trainer Allen Milligan.